Hot wax is definitely better because
- it seeps into the micropores in the base (in case of sintered bases)
- which means it lasts longer

Rub on wax is only for last minute boosts and for racers where every 1/10th of a second counts
- it only 'rubs on' to the surface of the base
- which means it comes off after like one run
- good for giving it a last minute boost for races etc
- but not really practical for normal everyday rides
- doesnt protect the base as well as hot wax

Sintered base eats wax real well because its got much more micropores in its ptex. Extruded doesnt so they dont absorb much wax at all.
However sintered bases perform the best when theyre waxed, so unwaxed sintered would be slower than a waxed extruded.
Get ya gear waxed at all times for a good ride!

Hot wax is definitely better because - it seeps into the micropores in the base (in case of sintered bases) - which means it lasts longer

Rub on wax is only for last minute boosts and for racers where every 1/10th of a second counts - it only 'rubs on' to the surface of the base - which means it comes off after like one run - good for giving it a last minute boost for races etc - but not really practical for normal everyday rides - doesnt protect the base as well as hot wax

Sintered base eats wax real well because its got much more micropores in its ptex. Extruded doesnt so they dont absorb much wax at all. However sintered bases perform the best when theyre waxed, so unwaxed sintered would be slower than a waxed extruded. Get ya gear waxed at all times for a good ride!

Ok, here we go again.

There are no "pores" in your base. Think of them as ravines (google image snowboard base under microscope for proof).

Extruded bases have deeper "ravines" so they hold more wax. Sintered bases hold less wax, but are harder by design, hence the lack of friction. All else being equal, they will be faster and more durable because of the hardness.

Sorry for the double post, but that guy had to be set straight before I mentioned this:

A buddy got me a puck of One Ball Jay's soy based rub on wax for x-mas. It has a cork built right onto the little plastc container, which is a nice touch. The stuff really preformed well too! My rock board was in some serious need of TLC and wax, and it actually stuck around for nearly an entire day at sub 10 degree temps!

He said he got it at Zumiez for under $6 on sale. I'm going to keep it in my go bag for those last minute touch ups between waxes and multi day long trips.

Rub on if your on the go and feeling lazy. If you want to go all out then most defiantly hot wax. I wish my shop hooked us up with free wax. It seems like theirs less and less mom n pop shops and more "Big Business" shops who don't care for the individual customer.

There are no "pores" in your base. Think of them as ravines (google image snowboard base under microscope for proof).

Extruded bases have deeper "ravines" so they hold more wax. Sintered bases hold less wax, but are harder by design, hence the lack of friction. All else being equal, they will be faster and more durable because of the hardness.

I think you have that last part backwards. While there might not be "pores" in your base, a sintered base is more "porous" and allows for more wax absorption. Extruded bases are harder, hold less wax and are more durable.

i am looking into buying everything for hot waxing my board this season, and i watched a lot of the how to hot wax videos, but i am not really sure what i still need to get? i understand i need an iron that does not have the holes in it? i also i need a nice scraper, and i need something that i can use to scrape the edge of my board! and of course the hot wax that i am going to pick! but what i don't understand is the stuff i need to clean the old wax off the bottom of my board?? some of the videos did not have people cleaning the bottom of the board first, and others used this type of acid that was not harmful to the skin? if i do need this base cleaning stuff and that is really important, can i please have the name of a good brand that i can use. thanks a lot!

i am looking into buying everything for hot waxing my board this season, and i watched a lot of the how to hot wax videos, but i am not really sure what i still need to get? i understand i need an iron that does not have the holes in it? i also i need a nice scraper, and i need something that i can use to scrape the edge of my board! and of course the hot wax that i am going to pick! but what i don't understand is the stuff i need to clean the old wax off the bottom of my board?? some of the videos did not have people cleaning the bottom of the board first, and others used this type of acid that was not harmful to the skin? if i do need this base cleaning stuff and that is really important, can i please have the name of a good brand that i can use. thanks a lot!

Glad you're finally posting in the correct thread for your issue but how about you try reading? There are over 200 posts in this thread and all of your answers have already been answered so try reading the previous posts.

There are no "pores" in your base. Think of them as ravines (google image snowboard base under microscope for proof).

Extruded bases have deeper "ravines" so they hold more wax. Sintered bases hold less wax, but are harder by design, hence the lack of friction. All else being equal, they will be faster and more durable because of the hardness.

I think you have that last part backwards. While there might not be "pores" in your base, a sintered base is more "porous" and allows for more wax absorption. Extruded bases are harder, hold less wax and are more durable.

you're both partly right and party incorrect. sintered base material is more dense/hard than extruded, so it's more durable in the sense that it won't scratch as easily and will stand up to impact better, but while extruded doesn't hold up to impact as well, it's easier to work on because the material is more pliable and easy to fill in with ptex.

sintered bases have deeper "ravines," albeit pretty microscopic. extruded bases hold less wax because their ravines are much smaller, because of the way they're made.. but part of the design of an extruded base is that you don't really need much wax for it to work, whereas if you've ever ridden a sintered base that was dry, you know how ungodly slow they are.

sintered bases are made of ground up pellets of the material which are pressed into shape with heat (without liquefying the material), which leaves a lot of the structure.. the finishing process done by the factory is what leaves the final structure, though. extruded bases are made differently, in that the melted ptex is extruded (like spaghetti) out of a hole in a smooth sheet, not leaving much natural structure. part of the reason they work well with very little or no wax is because they don't have the same structure, so it doesn't suck onto the snow like a sintered base.

sintered and extruded are both normal non-snowboard words, so if you ever forget, just look up the definitions and you can remember how each one is made.

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^that's really not the best way to wax your board. those heat guns can get way too hot and damage your base. You don't get the same kind of coverage and can't get the proper amount of wax on your board. There is a reason why the ski and board techs at shops and resorts use irons. If using a heat gun and crayoning on wax was a better method they would do that.

I don't think I'm bad... I don't box, no karate... just here to make friends with everybody

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